The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has revoked the accreditation of Rana Reider, the coach of six-time Olympic medal-winning sprinter Andre De Grasse, due to “new information” that has come to light.
Reider had been on probation with the U.S. Center for SafeSport until May of this year. The COC’s decision to accredit him was based on the understanding that he had no other suspensions or sanctions against him. However, on Sunday, August 4, the COC learned of new concerns about the appropriateness of Mr. Reider remaining accredited by Team Canada for the Paris 2024 Games. In consultation with Athletics Canada, it was decided to revoke his accreditation.
The COC did not specify the nature of the new information but mentioned that Reider was accredited only as a personal coach with access to athletic warm-up and training areas. U.K. media outlets have linked the decision to concerns over athlete safeguarding and allegations of sexual and emotional abuse. Court documents from Broward County, Florida, reveal that three women have filed lawsuits against Reider for alleged sexual and emotional abuse.
Reider’s U.S.-based lawyer, Ryan Stevens, argued that Reider is being unjustly denied the right to coach athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games based on “years-old claims in a lawsuit by former athletes seeking financial gain.” Stevens noted that Reider currently has no sanctions against him by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, USA Track & Field, or Athletics Canada.
“It’s a bad day for the Olympics when a governing body’s fear of bad publicity is prioritized over the athletes,” Stevens said. “Coach Reider has no pending sanctions against him by any governing body.” The allegations against Reider have not been proven in court, and he has not been charged with a crime.
World Athletics confirmed that it was not involved in the Olympic accreditation process but acknowledged that senior-level discussions had occurred regarding Reider’s participation. They noted that Reider has not been accredited for any recent World Athletics Series Events, including the World Championships.
Andre De Grasse is Canada’s most decorated male summer Olympic medallist, with one gold, two silvers, and three bronzes. The 29-year-old from Markham, Ontario, is the defending champion in the 200-meter event and is set to compete in the semifinals at Stade de France on Wednesday, presumably without his coach.
De Grasse had split from Reider in 2022 while the coach was under investigation for sexual misconduct by the U.S. Center for SafeSport but later returned to him. Reider’s SafeSport case was resolved in May 2023 after he admitted to a “consensual romantic relationship with an adult athlete.” He was not found in violation of other sexual misconduct claims. The resolution included Reider agreeing to one year of probation with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, allowing him to continue training elite sprinters.
De Grasse reached his peak performance under Reider from 2018 to 2022, achieving personal bests in the 100 meters (9.89 seconds) and 200 meters (19.62 seconds) at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and winning a silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2019 World Championships.
